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Recently, a sibling accidentally took off the "W" key from my laptop.

I followed YouTube tutorials on taking out the 2 plastic pieces that surround the rubbery circle below the key and I removed them without damaging them.

After that I noticed that it was a little dirty under the key so I cleaned most of the dirt out. I carefully placed both plastics back inside and it made a click sound so I know I did it right. Finally I put the "W" key back on top and pressed down hoping it would be fixed.

Now the key is stuck downwards. Usually a key is up and you're able to press it down so it registers, but in my case it's as if it's always being pressed down, as in the key isn't popping back up, but the key also isn't registering, so it's not constantly spamming "W". I don't know what to do. I can't use my "W" key because it's not popped upwards. Any help on this is appreciated. 

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  • We would need to see a picture of the keyboard, and to know the model of the laptop. Also, this question will probably be closed soon (it's not a life hack issue), so I suggest you post in a forum for computer questions or general questions. Maybe superusers on stackexchange, or a relevant reddit subforum.
    – piojo
    Commented Jun 1, 2020 at 6:12
  • @piojo I tried to edit so it fits.
    – Shadow Wizard
    Commented Jun 1, 2020 at 8:09

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Some pictures, and the exact brand and model of the laptop would have helped greatly.

Missing that information, I can only brainstorm.

  1. It is possible that the dirt you removed was actually a layer of carbon, making the keyboard being a keyboard. That is the same technology used in cheap (and not so cheap) TV remote controls.

  2. During the entire chain of events, some part (regardless of how small) might have been lost. I have in mind something acting as a spring (either a metal spiral, or anything else with the same purpose).

  3. NOT REALLY RECOMMENDED: carefully remove another key which still works and analyze how it is built. Do some research on the net about it first.

  4. MOST RECOMMENDED: Take the laptop to a laptop service that you trust. They have already some experience with these kinds of problems, and they can give you specialized / professional advice.

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    I'd strongly advise only 4) - it should be cheap as for them it's instant action taking few minutes.
    – Shadow Wizard
    Commented Jun 1, 2020 at 8:11
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    @ShadowWizardisEarForYou: point taken, updated the answer. Thank you.
    – virolino
    Commented Jun 1, 2020 at 8:38
  • @virolino Thank you for your help. I did option 3, I took off a working key and looked inside to compare with the inside of the "W" key and you were right. They both looked different. Some of the rubber spring got ripped off some how and that's why it wasn't popping back upwards. Looks like I'll have to replace it. I still wonder if it's possible to take a spring from a key I don't use and use it to replace the one in the "W" key.
    – Zenoh
    Commented Jun 1, 2020 at 16:28
  • @Zenoh: Yes, you can even use the <ENTER> key. Or even better, use option 4, for a proper repair. The plastic caps not only hold the paint with the symbols, but also protect the lower layer(s) of the laptop from liquids, dust, mechanical accidents... Going the hacking way might lead you to damaging the laptop seriously, long term.
    – virolino
    Commented Jun 2, 2020 at 5:48

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